James Agee
THE MORNING WATCH
My
soul fLeeth unto the Lord
before the morning watch: I say,
before the morning watch.
-PSALM CXXX
In hidden vainglory he had vowed that he would stay
awake straight through the night, for he had wondered, and not
without scorn, how they, grown men, could give way to sleep on
this night of
all
nights in their life, leaving Him without one friend
in His worst hour; but some while before midnight, still unaware
that he was so much as drowsy, he had fallen asleep; and now
this
listening sleep was broken and instantly Richard lay sharp awake,
aware of his failure and of the night.
Too late: already it was time: now it was the deepest hour of
the deepest night. Already while he slept, with wrathful torches and
with swords and staves they had broken among the branches of
the Garden; Judas, gliding, had stretched against that clear Face
his
serpent's smile; Peter in loyal rage had struck off the dazed
servant's ear and He in quiet had healed him: and without struggle
had yielded Himself into their hands. Could ye not watch with me
one hour? No, Lord, his humbled soul replied: not even one: and
three times, silently, gazing straight upward into the darkness, he
struck his breast, while tears of contrition, of humility and of a
hunger to be worthy, solaced his eyes, and awakened his heart. 0
yes
it
was an hour more deep by far than the Agony and Bloody
Sweat: no longer alone, unsure; resolved, and taken. That was al–
ready fully begun which could come only to one ending. By now
He stood peaceful before Pilate, the one calm and silence amid
all
that tumult of malice and scorn and guile and hatred and beating
